Written Answers Wednesday 31 October 2007

Scottish Executive

Abortion

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address inequalities in the provision of abortion services across Scotland.

Shona Robison: Respect and Responsibility contains a recommendation that each NHS board must ensure women have access to appropriate termination of pregnancy services which are in line with the guidelines produced by the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

  In addition, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is developing national Sexual Health Standards. The draft standards, which are currently available, contain a specific recommendation for each NHS board to ensure that women receive safe termination of pregnancy with minimal delay, followed by a contraceptive review and counselling. The introduction of the draft standard, which is also in line with the guidelines produced by the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, will allow NHS boards to test themselves against what is proposed and to work towards it.

Adult Education

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how the figure of one in five adults with literacy and numeracy problems, as referred to in the current TV public information campaign, was calculated.

Fiona Hyslop: The figure is taken from the 1997 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) which indicated that around 23% of adults in Scotland have low literacy skills.

  The Scottish Government is considering commissioning research into how best to determine the current level of adult literacy rates.

Adult Education

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any measurable improvement among people with literacy and numeracy problems who have taken part in government-sponsored programmes designed to overcome these difficulties in the last five years.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

  Scotland operates a social practice strategy for literacy and numeracy. The strategy is based on a lifelong learning, learner centred approach to programmes where adults’ learning needs and abilities are assessed and individual goals set out in a learner’s individual learning plan. Progress is measured in terms of changes in learners’ ability to use literacy and numeracy i.e. the distance the learner has travelled and without compulsory testing (to encourage participation). This makes measurement of progress difficult, however, we are currently refreshing the ALNIS Strategy and expect that this will make recommendations about how better to achieve this.

Adult Education

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have undertaken government-sponsored courses to address literacy and numeracy problems in the last five years, broken down by age group.

Fiona Hyslop: Since 2001 to March 2007, around 180,000 new adult learners have accessed help to address their low levels of literacy and numeracy. Details of age groups are not held centrally.

Adult Education

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the comparative success rate has been between the people in each age group who have taken part in government-sponsored literacy and numeracy courses in the last five years.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.

  From 2001 to March 2007 around 180,000 new adult learners have accessed literacy and numeracy provision. This figure is not broken down by age group.

  Scotland operates a social practice strategy for literacy and numeracy. The strategy is based on a lifelong learning, learner centred approach to programmes where adults’ learning needs and abilities are assessed and individual goals set out in a learner’s individual learning plan, rather than a preset course. Progress is measured in terms of changes in learner’s ability to use literacy and numeracy i.e. the distance the learner has travelled and without compulsory testing (to encourage participation). This makes measurement of progress difficult, however we are currently refreshing the ALNIS strategy and expect that this will make recommendations about how better to achieve this.

Adult Education

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people who have undertaken government-sponsored literacy and numeracy programmes in the last five years did not complete the course.

Fiona Hyslop: The activity funded through the Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland strategy operates under a social practice model. This is based on a lifelong learning, learner centred approach to programmes where adults’ learning needs and abilities are assessed and individual goals set out in a learner’s individual learning plan. This is the focus of the learning, rather than a preset course. Progress is measured in terms of changes in learner’s ability to use literacy and numeracy and not compulsory testing (thus encouraging participation). There is therefore no information on course completions.

Agriculture

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the press release of 30 August 2007 from the Minister for Environment, what discussions have taken place with regard to stopping the Single Farm Payment and other government subsidies or grants being paid to landowners or estates that allow the killing of birds of prey to be carried out on their land.

Michael Russell: Provisions for stopping the Single Farm Payment and certain other government subsidies already exist. These will be used where estates allow the illegal killing of birds of prey and where there is a sufficient level of proof.

Agriculture

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the press release of 30 August 2007 from the Minister for Environment, what burden of proof will be required when making the decision to stop the Single Farm Payment being paid to landowners or estates that allow the killing of birds of prey to be carried out on their land.

Michael Russell: The civil standard of proof is used to decide whether or not Cross Compliance requirements have been breached. If an inspector can provide evidence to show that on the balance of probability a breach has been committed then this is enough to allow a Cross Compliance penalty to be applied. Farmers or crofters who dispute the findings can lodge an appeal under the existing EU Appeals procedure.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what rate of emergency alcohol-related hospital admissions there have been in NHS Tayside in each of the last three years.

Shona Robison: Patients discharged from hospitals in NHS Tayside who came into hospital through emergency admission from 2003-04 to 2005-06, and for whom there was an alcohol-related diagnosis are shown in tables 1 and 2 as follows. The age standardised rates for these years are also shown.

  Information regarding the numbers of emergency admissions for specific diagnoses is not held centrally.

  Table 1. The numbers of discharges of patients resident in NHS Tayside from general acute hospitals with an alcohol related diagnosis (emergency admissions only) for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06.

  

 
Numbers
Age-Standardised Rates


2003-04
2004-05
2005-06P
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06P


Tayside
2,077
1,937
2,011
517
469
486



  Table 2. The numbers of discharges of patients resident in NHS Tayside discharged from mental hospitals and psychiatric units with an alcohol-related diagnosis (emergency admissions only) for 2002-03 to 2004-05.

  


Numbers
Age-Standardised Rates


2002-03
2003-04
2004-05P
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05P


Tayside
139
171
103
36
43
26



  Some patients resident in Tayside will have been treated outside the area but age standardised rates can only be calculated for the population resident in Tayside.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have used dedicated alcohol services in Dundee in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold complete information in the form requested. Some information on the number of people in Dundee who have used dedicated alcohol services is contained within Dundee City’s Alcohol and Drug Action Team’s (ADAT) annual Corporate Action Plans.

  This can be obtained from the following website: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have used dedicated alcohol services in Tayside in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold complete information in the format requested. Some information on the number of people in Tayside in each of the last three years who have used dedicated alcohol services is contained within the Corporate Action Plans (CAPs) of the three Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (ADATs) within the Tayside area.

  The relevant ADATs are Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross and the CAPs can be obtained from the following website http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have used combined drug and alcohol services in Tayside in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold complete information in the format requested. Some information on the number of people in Tayside in each of the last three years who have used combined drug and alcohol services is contained within the Corporate Action Plans (CAPs) of the three Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (ADATs) within the Tayside area.

  The relevant ADATs are Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross and the CAPs can be obtained from the following website - http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm.

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the resource use figures were in respect of alcohol misuse, broken down into the number of (a) GP consultations, (b) laboratory tests, (c) hospitalisation tests, (d) outpatient visits, (e) day hospital attendances and (f) ambulance responses in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Shona Robison: The information requested is given in the following table, which provides an estimate of health service resource use and costs associated with alcohol misuse in 2002-03, the year for which latest data is available The estimates come from Cost to Society of Alcohol Misuse in Scotland: An Update to "Alcohol Misuse in Scotland Trends and Costs"  (Scottish Executive, 2005). The full methodology on which these figures are based is provided in Alcohol Misuse in Scotland Trends and Costs (Scottish Executive, 2001).

  Resource Use and Costs of Alcohol Misuse: 2002-03

  


Resource Use
Cost (£ million)


GP consultations
246,694
4.4


Laboratory tests
171,744
2.2


Hospitalisation days
284,469
57.9


Outpatient visits
97,341
8.7


Day hospital attendances
59,974
3.3


Ambulance responses
64,044
10.1

Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the total cost to society of alcohol misuse in the most recent year for which figures are available, also broken down into the cost to (a) NHS Scotland, (b) social work services and (c) criminal justice and emergency services, (d) wider economic costs and (e) human costs.

Shona Robison: The information requested is given in the following table. The estimated cost of alcohol misuse for 2002-03, the year for which latest data is available, comes from Cost to Society of Alcohol Misuse in Scotland: An Update to "Alcohol Misuse in Scotland Trends and Costs" (Scottish Executive, 2005). The full methodology on which these costs are based is provided in Alcohol Misuse in Scotland Trends and Costs (Scottish Executive, 2001).

  Annual Costs of Alcohol Misuse: 2002-03

  

Resource Groupings
£ Million


NHS Scotland
110.5


Social Work Services
96.7


Criminal Justice and Emergency Services
276.7


Wider Economic Costs
417.8


Human Costs
223.8


Estimated Cost to Society
1,125.5

Alcohol Misuse

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with manufacturers of alcoholic products with a view to product labelling displaying clearly the unit content.

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with manufacturers of alcoholic products with a view to product labelling including sensible drinking messages.

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the UK Government about requiring manufacturers of alcohol products to display the unit content on any labelling.

Shona Robison: Scottish Government officials participated in a recent Department of Health Working Group which looked at the issue of voluntary product labelling with the alcohol industry. This resulted in agreement on a voluntary alcohol labelling format with the alcohol industry.

  The Department of Health intends to review the extent to which this has been implemented during 2008.

Audiology

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cochlear implants performed on (a) children and (b) adults in each year from 2003-04 were (i) unilateral and (ii) bilateral fittings.

Shona Robison:

  Numbers of Unilateral and Bilateral Cochlear Implants in Children and Adults since 2003-04

  

 
 
2003-04
2004-05


Unilateral
Bilateral
Unilateral
Bilateral


Ayrshire and Arran:
 
 
 
 


Children
19
0
24
1


Adults
15
0
17
0


Lothian:
 
 
 
 


Adults
6
0
6
0



  

 
 
2005-06
2006-07


Unilateral
Bilateral
Unilateral
Bilateral


Ayrshire and Arran:
 
 
 
 


Children
23
0
29
2


Adults
11
0
16
0


Lothian:
 
 
 
 


Adults
11
0
6
0



  "Children" are defined as less than 15 years of age.

Audiology

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the delivery of an 18-week whole patient journey target for audiology services in Lothian.

Shona Robison: No discussions have yet been held with NHS Lothian since I formally announced, on 23 October 2007, the 18-week target for audiology to be delivered by 2011. Discussions will take place with NHS Lothian shortly to ensure that there is an action plan for implementation.

Audiology

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will agree to contracts being made with the private sector if an 18-week whole patient journey target for audiology services is not being delivered in Lothian.

Shona Robison: As indicated by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in response to the answer to question S3W-2159 on 31 July 2007 and during the parliamentary debate on waiting times, on 24 October 2007, the Scottish Government’s position is that NHS boards can continue to use existing private sector capacity if that helps them at the margins to cut waiting times for patients. However, this is a matter for NHS Lothian to consider as it establishes its action plan to meet the 18-week patient journey target by 2011.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Audiology

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many audiologists are employed by each NHS board.

Shona Robison: Information on Audiologists is included under Medical Technical Officers (MTOs), and Scientific and Professional groupings, in the centrally held data. Of these, Audiological Scientists and Audiological Technicians can be explicitly identified. Head count and whole-time equivalent (WTE) in each staff group employed in NHSScotland by NHS board at 30 September 2006 are shown in table 1.

  Table 1. Audiological Scientists and Audiological Technicians employed in NHS Scotland by NHS Board, Head Count and Whole-Time Equivalent at 30 September 2006

  

 
Audiological Scientists
Audiological Technicians


Head Count
WTE
Head Count
WTE


NHS Scotland 
5
5.0
158
138.2


NHS Ayrshire and Arran 
1
1.0
18
15.6


NHS Borders
-
-
5
3.8


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
-
-
6
6.0


NHS Fife
-
-
10
8.3


NHS Forth Valley
1
1.0
2
1.9


NHS Grampian
-
-
15
13.4


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
1
1.0
72
62.0


NHS Highland
-
-
6
6.0


NHS Lanarkshire
-
-
1
1.0


NHS Lothian
2
 2.0
5
4.6


NHS Orkney
-
-
-
-


NHS Shetland
-
-
1
1.0


NHS Tayside
-
-
17
14.5


NHS Western Isles
-
-
-
-



  Source: ISD Scotland. Ref. IR2007-02636.

Audiology

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many audiologists it estimates it needs to ensure that an 18-week whole patient journey target is reached.

Shona Robison: A delivery programme and action plans for audiology will be agreed with NHS boards to ensure this standard is in place by the target date of 2011. The workforce planning processes in place in each board include audiologists, and action plans will include workforce planning as appropriate.

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will develop a programme to make the cervical cancer vaccine available to girls up to 16 years old.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government announced on 26 October 2007 that, in addition to our commitment to routinely offer HPV vaccination to girls aged around 12 to 13, we would offer vaccination to girls who are under the age of 18 at the start of the immunisation campaign in September 2008.

  This commitment to implement a catch-up campaign follows advice received from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and will potentially protect an additional 120,000 young Scottish girls.

  The routine HPV immunisation programme for girls aged around 12 to 13 will begin in September 2008.

  The catch-up campaign for older girls will be carried out over the two to three year period from September 2008. The exact timing and phasing of the campaign will be considered further.

Care of Elderly People

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how people receiving free personal care in their own homes are made aware of the minimum standards to which they are entitled.

Shona Robison: The National Care Standards – care at home set out the quality of care people can expect from a provider when they receive care in their own home. Standard 1 states that the service will provide an introductory pack which clearly explains the service and what it can provide.

  Care at home services are regulated by the Care Commission, taking account of the National Care Standards.

  Copies of the National Care Standards are available free of charge from Blackwell’s Bookshop (telephone: 0131 622 8283). A general information leaflet about the Standards is also available from outlets such as social work and benefit offices and GP’s surgeries.

Central Heating

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made under the central heating programme and what the average wait between application and installation has been since its inception, also broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Information in the format requested is not held centrally.

  The average waiting time on the central heating programme reported by the managing agent since 2002-03 is shown in the following table:

  

Year
Average Waiting Time (Months)


2002-03
8



  In 2006-07, 25,133 householders applied to the programme and in 2007-08, 15,197 have applied, to the end of September.

Central Heating

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a maximum waiting time guarantee for applicants under the central heating programme and, if so, what that guarantee is.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  There is no maximum waiting time guarantee for applicants to the central heating programme.

  The programme is demand-led. As such, waiting times are dependent on the number of householders applying, the available resources, installer capacity and technical variations around type of system, planning considerations etc.

Charities

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-994 by Fergus Ewing on 25 October 2007, whether the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator is sufficiently staffed to enable both the efficient registration of bodies applying for charitable status and the adequate monitoring of those already registered, particularly with regard to those charities whose operations extend outwith Scotland.

Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The OSCR as an independent, non-ministerial department, is responsible for determining the level of staffing it requires to enable it to carry out its core functions.

Children and Young People

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4451 by Adam Ingram on 2 October 2007, when the Minister for Children and Early Years will meet COSLA to discuss the proposed Additional Support Fund to improve services for children with additional needs.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4451 by Adam Ingram on 2 October 2007, what the timescale is for the establishment of the £10 million Additional Support Fund to improve services for children with additional needs.

Adam Ingram: This government wants a new deal for local government and we are looking to put it in place as part of the spending review. Discussions with local government are ongoing. The goal is a strategic agreement on a range of outcomes and measures that will enable local authorities to maintain and improve frontline services and deliver on national priorities such as improving provision for children with additional support needs.

Children and Young People

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will meet representatives of the National Autistic Society to discuss the establishment of its proposed Additional Support Fund to improve services for children with additional needs.

Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-5159 on 31 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  Additionally, ministers are engaged with both the National Autistic Society Scotland and the Scottish Society for Autism in consideration of how to improve services for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Class Sizes

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4093 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether it will ask each local authority to provide an estimate of the number of additional composite classes in primary 1 to primary 3 that will result from the decision to reduce class sizes to 18.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4091 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether it intends to obtain information from local authorities about likely increases in composite classes in primary 1 to primary 3 as a result of the decision to reduce class sizes to 18.

Adam Ingram: No. Class formation can be modelled at a national level as part of the teacher workforce planning exercise when estimating the numbers of teachers required in future years, but actual decisions on class formation are matters for individual local authorities.

Class Sizes

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4092 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether any profiling work was done on the impact of reducing class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 before the decision was made to proceed with this policy.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any advice was sought or obtained about the impact on composite classes of the decision to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3, prior to any decision being made.

Adam Ingram: We have always been and remain fully committed to the implementation of our class size commitment, conscious of the scale of the commitment we were entering into, but also in the confident knowledge of the benefits that will result for children’s development.

Class Sizes

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4094 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, whether class size reduction to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3 will be achieved by May 2011, following discussions with local authorities.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4091 by Maureen Watt on 20 September 2007, what discussions have taken place with COSLA about increases in composite classes in primary 1 to primary 3 following the decision to reduce class sizes to 18.

Adam Ingram: Discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities are continuing. Our class size commitments and the year-on-year progress that can be made will feature in discussions.

Class Sizes

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received estimates from local authorities of the number of additional teachers needed to fulfil its commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: The Director of Education and Cultural Services for West Lothian Council has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong learning and included an estimate of the number of teachers required to reduce Primary 1 to Primary 3 classes to 18. Estimates have not been received from any other council.

Class Sizes

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received estimates from local authorities of their costs in meeting its commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: The Director of Education and Cultural Services for West Lothian Council has indicated that the additional teachers in his authority would cost £4.165 million and that capital costs would be £27.75 million. No other estimates have been received from local authorities.

Class Sizes

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received estimates from local authorities of the timeframe in which they can meet its commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Adam Ingram: No estimates of the time frame to deliver class size reduction in primary 1 to primary 3 to a maximum of 18 have been received from local authorities.

Coast Protection

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much intertidal land and wildlife habitats have been lost as a result of sea level rise and coastal erosion since 2000 and what its policy is on protecting the extent of intertidal habitats, particularly those protected by EU conservation measures, from future losses due to rises in sea levels.

Richard Lochhead: There are no figures available for total losses of intertidal areas in Scotland since 2000. I understand that Scottish Natural Heritage’s (SNH) view is that rocky intertidal areas are not considered likely to have changed significantly in this period. Intertidal areas of soft material can be highly dynamic and may be subject to both deposition and erosion.

  Scottish Natural Heritage has a range of current projects that address the general issue of historic and recent coastal change and SNH advice is that the best approach to protection of coastal nature conservation interests is to support the natural dynamic processes, with intervention only in exceptional circumstances.

Crofting

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its available landholdings in Moray will be used to create new crofts as outlined in the proposal to create new crofting areas.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that new crofts will be created in Moray.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government will be consulting later in 2007 on proposals to designate new areas, including in Moray, where crofts may be created. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-4768 on 1 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  If the consultation demonstrates support for these new crofting areas the power to extend crofting tenure beyond the crofting counties rests in section 3 of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993, as amended by the Crofting Reform etc. (Scotland) Act 2007.

  Land in Moray belonging to the Scottish ministers will be parts of the National Forest estate currently managed by Forestry Commission, Scotland who are actively working to facilitate the creation of woodland crofts on National Forest land, whether in Moray or in other areas where crofting tenure applies. Other public land use bodies will be encouraged to consider whether land they manage is suitable for crofting.

  The Scottish Government cannot force anyone to change land to crofting tenure. Land owners will be able to apply to the Crofters Commission for the creation of new crofts within any areas designated by Ministers. In addition, tenants under the Small Landholders Acts 1886-1931 may also apply for the conversion of their smallholding to crofting tenure.

Crofting

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial incentives will be available to establish new crofts in Moray.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any financial incentives to extend crofting to Moray will be additional to existing resources.

Michael Russell: There are no financial incentives currently available for the establishment of new crofts in Moray.

  As announced previously, the proposed designation of Moray will not affect the arrangements for offering grant assistance to crofters within the crofting counties, as defined in the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993. Future arrangements for financial support for crofting will be determined in the light of the report of the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting.

  Land Managers in Moray – whether or not they are crofters - will be eligible to apply for financial support under a number of measures in the new Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13.

Culture

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, whether it has any plans to consult dialect interest groups and other bodies on the development of policies to support and encourage the use of local dialects and, if so, when the consultation will take place, what form it will take and which groups and bodies will be consulted.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, whether it has any policies for supporting and encouraging the use of local dialects in Scotland, including in Shetland, and, if so, what these policies are.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, what plans it has to develop policies for supporting and encouraging the use of local dialects in Scotland, including in Shetland.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government is committed to promoting and encouraging the use of Scots in all its regional forms in education, broadcasting and the arts. As stated in the answer to question S3W-4117 on 26 September 2007, we have no plans for a formal consultation on the use of dialects in Scotland but would always welcome the views of groups and individuals on this subject.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Culture

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding Arts and Business Scotland has received in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007.

Linda Fabiani: Arts and Business Scotland has received the following public funding between 2005-07.

  

2005-06
£115,000


2006-07
£486,000


2007-08
£504,000

Debt

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the levels of personal debt in each local authority area and how this compares with such levels in 1997.

Stewart Maxwell: Information on the levels of personal debt in each local authority area, or at a Scotland level, is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have accessed NHS dentistry in each year since the implementation of An Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland.

Shona Robison: In the year April 2005 to March 2006, there were 2,048,302 1 people who had at least one course of treatment in the NHS general dental service. In the year April 2006 to March 2007, there were 2,066,792 1 people who had at least one course of treatment in the NHS general dental service.

  Source: MIDAS (Management Information & Dental Accounting System).

  Note: 1. The number of unique patients treated in each year.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee existing funding for the Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute, in light of the proposal to open an Aberdeen dental school in 2008.

Shona Robison: Funding for the new Aberdeen dental school will be subject to normal business case considerations and there are no plans to reduce any existing funding which has already been guaranteed to Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and Edinburgh Dental Institute.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee that the opening of an Aberdeen dental school will not have an impact on the staffing of the dental schools in Dundee and Glasgow and the Edinburgh Dental Institute.

Shona Robison: It is expected that there will be no adverse impact on the staffing levels of the two dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether new and planned investment in infrastructure and facilities at Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute will continue.

Shona Robison: All planned activity through the dental action plan and funded through National Education for Scotland will continue to be delivered.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed Aberdeen dental school will recruit properly trained clinical academic staff without there being any adverse effect on existing staff and courses at the Dundee and Glasgow dental schools and the Edinburgh Dental Institute.

Shona Robison: Job descriptions for senior clinical posts are currently being finalised and will be advertised within the next few months. National Education for Scotland will continue to work with the dental schools to support appropriate recruitment should any difficulties arise.

Domestic Abuse

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue existing funding streams beyond March 2008 to help support women experiencing domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: Until the current Spending Review is complete the Scottish government will not be in a position to make any announcements about funding, including the possible extension of existing funding streams. However, we will make a decision about the future of the funding as soon as possible after the Spending Review outcomes are known.

Domestic Abuse

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will improve and develop services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to addressing all forms of violence against women, including services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

  To assist in that process the Scottish Government is in the process of developing a National Violence Against Women Strategy and action plan for broader work on violence against women.

  Furthermore, the National Domestic Abuse Delivery Group for Children and Young People is also working on a plan for addressing issues for children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

  The Scottish Government will continue to work with key stakeholders on the National Group to Address Violence Against Women and the National Domestic Abuse Delivery Group for Children and Young People to ensure that effective protection and support is available to those affected.

  The exact details of how these services will be developed, beyond March 2008, will be made in an announcement following the outcome of the spending review.

Domestic Abuse

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will continue and develop the media campaign to challenge attitudes to domestic abuse.

Stewart Maxwell: The 2007-08 campaign will commence on Boxing Day with the main aim of highlighting the unacceptability of domestic abuse in our society. This year’s focus will highlight the effects that domestic abuse has on children and young people. As in previous years the target audience will be women experiencing domestic abuse with the recognition that the campaign will seek to influence the wider Scottish public.

Drug Misuse

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies have been born to drug-dependent mothers in each year since 1999, also broken down by maternity unit.

Shona Robison: The information requested is supplied for the years 1998-99 to 2004-05 (the latest year available) in Table 1: Number of Babies Born in Maternities Recording Drug Misuse by Hospital, Year Ending 31 March, a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43944).

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have used combined drug and alcohol services in Dundee in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold complete information in the format requested. Some information on the number of people who have used combined drug and alcohol services in Dundee in the last three years is contained within Dundee City’s Alcohol and Drug Action Team’s (ADATs) annual Corporate Action Plans.

  This can be obtained from the following website: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/dat/cap/dat.htm.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the Advisory Group on Occupational Segregation.

Stewart Maxwell: The cross-directorate group was set up in 2006 as the main vehicle for taking forward our work to tackle gender stereotyping and occupational segregation – and to implement the recommendations of the UK Women and Work Commission’s report of February 2006 to close the gender pay and opportunity gap within a generation.

  Recognising that currently employment is a reserved matter, the group is considering what effective policy interventions might be made to tackle occupational segregation and are looking at the possibilities in the early years and throughout the various stages of formal education, in vocational training and in employment, i.e. throughout a person’s life-course, with a view to reporting to ministers early in 2008.

Employment

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the skills strategy is designed to address occupational segregation.

Fiona Hyslop: Equality is a guiding principle of the skills strategy. In order to fully consider the equalities implications of each policy area on its relevant audience and to mitigate against occupational segregation, we will ensure that each programme underpinning this strategy will be equality impact assessed across six strands (race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, age and religion/faith) to make sure that they are appropriate. We will also ensure that they are monitored thereafter, to mitigate against any potential negative impact, to be proactive in promoting positive actions and to ensure that our policies supporting the skills strategy are as robust and effective as they can be for as many people as possible.

Enterprise

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4773 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 October 2007, whether it also intends to consider the continuation of local delivery of careers advice by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Fiona Hyslop: The local delivery of careers advice is currently delivered by Careers Scotland in both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. As part of the formation of the new skills body, Careers Scotland in both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will merge with learndirect scotland to form a 21st Century infrastructure to support skills development. The local delivery of career advice will continue to be a feature of the new skills body.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in a position to make available a timeline for relaxations in foot-and-mouth restrictions for livestock producers.

Richard Lochhead: On 9 October 2007 I announced that, subject to no deterioration in the disease situation, the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions in Scotland would be lifted on 17 October. This timing is linked to the ending of the Protection Zone established in Surrey and the confidence that this step gives us that live virus is no longer circulating within Great Britain.

Health

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why portable CD oxygen cylinders are not listed on the Scottish Drug Tariff.

Shona Robison: CD cylinders can be adjusted to provide oxygen at various different flow rates. When portable oxygen was made available on GP prescription it was agreed that GPs would prescribe cylinders only for patients who require standard flow rates of 2 or 4 litres per minute. Patients requiring an adjustable flow rate would be referred by their GP to a hospital based specialist physician. Hospital based prescribing is not restricted to items included in the Tariff and so there is no need for CD cylinders to be listed.

Health

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what difficulties there are for contractors in providing portable CD oxygen cylinders when requested by prescribing doctors and pharmacists.

Shona Robison: BOC’s adjustable flow rate CD cylinders are not listed on the Scottish Drug Tariff because GP prescribing is limited, by agreement, to standard oxygen flow rates of two or four litres per minute. Because CD cylinders are not on the tariff pharmacists cannot be reimbursed for dispensing them. Exceptionally, a temporary arrangement to reimburse pharmacists for CD cylinders was put in place in December 2005 due to a shortage of the tariff-listed DD cylinders. This was a short term measure and has now been withdrawn.

Health

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why portable oxygen cylinders are not available on the NHS.

Shona Robison: Portable oxygen cylinders which are listed in the Scottish Drug Tariff are available on the NHS on GP prescription. Other oxygen products may be supplied to patients via the hospital service subject to a specialist physician being satisfied as to clinical need.

Health

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1520 by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 July 2007, what range of support services it considers necessary in (a) Ayr and (b) Crosshouse hospitals to take appropriate account of local circumstances in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency.

Nicola Sturgeon: I expect all NHS boards to plan and provide health care services which meet the needs of their local communities.

High Hedges

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce measures to deal effectively with complaints about high hedges and what those measures will be.

Fergus Ewing: I recognise the considerable distress that can be caused to residents by their neighbours’ high hedges. The Scottish Government is giving active consideration to how it can best support the provision of effective means of resolving disputes.

  In determining the best way forward, we will bear in mind consultation on the issue by the previous administration, the provisions in place in England and Wales and the Members’ Bill lodged on 14 November 2006 by former Member of the Scottish Parliament, Scott Barrie, which fell because it did not complete its parliamentary passage before dissolution of the second session of Parliament.

Higher Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills of increased spending on higher education and skills from £14.2 billion in 2007-08 to £16.4 billion by 2010-11 to implement the recommendations of the Leitch Review, what funding it intends to commit to its programme for the implementation of Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Skills Strategy.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Spending Review 2007 will detail how the Scottish Government intends to allocate its funds.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the request from Aberdeen City Council regarding housing stock transfer will be agreed.

Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-4600 on 9 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations and housing co-operatives have received inspection visits since 2002.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.

  Her response is as follows:

  Since April 2002 Communities Scotland has inspected a total of 71 individual housing associations and co-operatives.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations and housing co-operatives have never been inspected by Communities Scotland in its capacity as regulator.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.

  Her response is as follows:

  Ninety-five registered social landlords (RSLs) have not been inspected by Communities Scotland, although all but 19 of these were inspected by its predecessor, Scottish Homes. All RSLs are required to submit annual financial and performance monitoring information to the regulator.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have been inspected since 2002 by Communities Scotland in its capacity as regulator.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.

  Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland inspects the housing and homelessness services of local authorities. From April 2002 to date, the agency has completed the inspection of 17 local authorities. A further seven inspections are underway, including two re-inspections.

Housing

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations and housing co-operatives have received a C Rating under the inspection regime since 2002.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond.

  Her response is as follows:

  Since 2002, Communities Scotland has awarded C grades to 24 housing associations or co-operatives.

Housing

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when in the course of its work the Housing Supply Task Force will meet local task force groups and local authorities to gather and share information on the regional priorities for affordable housing in Scotland.

Stewart Maxwell: The Housing Supply Task Force includes representatives from local authorities in its membership and local authorities have been invited to be represented at task force meetings; most recently at the task force meeting on 23 October 2007. Further meetings and events are planned, to which local authorities and other organisations with an interest in housing supply issues will be invited. The task force is keen to engage with a wide range of interests to explore how the supply of housing of all types can be increased in all areas of Scotland.

  I am aware of the initiative by Scottish Borders Council to establish a local Housing Task Force and I am aware that officials from Communities Scotland are involved in task force meetings. I recognise the severe affordable housing pressures that exist in the Borders, as in many other parts of Scotland and I would be interested in seeing whether any outputs emerge from the council’s initiative that could have wider applicability.

Housing

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to bring the Mobile Homes Act 1983 into line with changes made to legislation in England.

Stewart Maxwell: The Mobile Homes Act 1983 has been amended in part by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 which affords new protections for park home residents, and contains similar provisions to those introduced in England by the Housing Act 2004.

  The 2006 act also confers on Scottish ministers the power to make further amendments to the 1983 act. These powers can be used to introduce changes, for example, through regulation to further improve protection for park home owners by revision of the implied terms and written statement which sets out the agreement between resident and site owner.

  We have commissioned research to provide an accurate picture of the use of park homes as dwellings in Scotland as the basis for the development of policy in this area. The research has considered the extent to which any problems identified are addressed by the existing legislation, including that recently implemented by the 2006 act.

  We expect to publish the research later this year. This will assist us in setting out our future policy for mobile homes.

Housing

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to undertaking a review of park home legislation.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has undertaken on park home legislation.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations on park home legislation it has had with mobile home owners.

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations on park home legislation it has had with owners of mobile home parks.

Stewart Maxwell: We have commissioned research to provide an accurate picture of the use of park homes as dwellings in Scotland as the basis for the development of policy in this area. The research has considered the extent to which any problems identified are addressed by the existing legislation, including that recently implemented by part 6 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 which introduced new protections for park home residents.

  The research also sought to identify the number and location of park home dwellings, and to explore in detail the reasons why people are living in park homes and the types of issues and problems experienced by residents in connection with their occupation and use of these homes.

  The study was overseen by a research advisory group which included membership drawn from national organisations representing park home residents and site owners. The researcher also conducted extensive interviews with park home residents.

  We expect to publish the research later this year. This will assist us in setting out our future policy for mobile homes.

Housing

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations on park home legislation it has had with insurance companies.

Stewart Maxwell: We have commissioned research to provide an accurate picture of the use of park homes as dwellings in Scotland as the basis for the development of policy in this area. The research has considered the extent to which any problems identified are addressed by the existing legislation, including that recently implemented by part 6 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 which introduced new protections for park home residents.

  Input into the research study has been made by park home residents and national organisations representing residents and site owners. We have not carried out any consultation with insurance companies.

  We expect to publish the research later this year. This will assist us in setting out our future policy for mobile homes.

Inter-Governmental Links

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to seek a general renegotiation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Government or of the bilateral concordats between the Scottish Executive and UK departments.

Linda Fabiani: The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a quadrilateral agreement between the UK Government and the Devolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Therefore, a review of the MoU would require the participation of all four Administrations and be carried out under the auspices of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC).

  The First Minister has written to the Prime Minister calling for a JMC to be convened and we await his response.

  Bilateral concordats between the Scottish and UK Governments are kept under constant review and are updated as and when required. Copies of all concordats are lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders in Grampian have received prison sentences of six months or less in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table. Data for 2006-07 is due to be published in March 2008.

  Persons Receiving a Custodial Sentence of Six Months or Less for all Offences1 in the Grampian Police Force Area, 2003-04 to 2005-06

  

Sentence
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


Six months or less
939
1,029
1,026



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Lifelong Learning

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to revise its skills strategy and, if so, when it intends to publish a revised strategy.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not intend to revise its skills strategy.

Mental Health

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many in-patient beds for women with mental health and offending behaviour problems are co-located in services with male in-patient beds.

Shona Robison: There are currently up to 18 beds designated for women in forensic medium secure facilities. The beds (6 to 8) in the West of Scotland medium secure unit are in a women’s ward with its own facilities. The beds (10) in the East of Scotland medium secure unit are co-located with beds for male patients but all have en-suite facilities and there are specific policies and procedures in place to address safety, privacy and dignity for women within this setting.

  There are currently 15 beds for women at high security (in the State Hospital, Carstairs) but plans are under way to close these beds.

  Women with offending behaviour may also be accommodated in general female psychiatric wards where this is considered appropriate.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that young adolescents with mental health problems are treated in appropriate healthcare settings rather than adult psychiatric wards.

Shona Robison: We continue our work with NHS boards and other partners to deliver the objectives from the Mental Health of Children and Young People’s Framework (Bib. number 38415) and Delivering a Healthy Future (Bib. number 42137) designed to achieve early and sustained change and improvement on all aspects of child and adolescent mental health care.

  We are seeing progress in delivering the key timetabled milestones including attention on training and workforce planning; increasing bed numbers; better early intervention; supported transitions; improved primary care, and improved planning and delivery of specialist care for children and young people with mental health problems.

  Work to reduce inappropriate admissions to adult beds is showing real progress. There were 186 such admissions last year, a significant reduction from the 290 recorded for 2002. This progress reflects our drive to increase the number of dedicated beds for this important care group from 44 beds to 56 by 2010 and our attention on improving provision to support children and young people in the community, to prevent inappropriate admissions and to facilitate earlier and safe discharge from hospital care.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff vacancies in (a) child and adolescent and (b) adult mental health care units there are, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally. Each NHS board holds employment details for its own staff.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to improve child and adolescent mental health in-patient units.

Shona Robison: NHS Education Scotland (NES) has now developed and delivered a New to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) training pack. The associated training is being introduced nationally and evaluated. Work continues on Advanced CAMHS training to incorporate leadership and management skills. Combined, this training focus and action will help ensure all staff working in mental health in-patient units and other settings are skilled to offer the best care for children and young people in their care.

  Attention continues on providing improved standards of accommodation and facilities for child and adolescent mental health care across Scotland.

Mental Health

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds there have been for children and adolescents in child and adolescent psychiatric wards in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: Information by hospital ward is not collected centrally. However, figures for the specialties Child Psychiatry and Adolescent Psychiatry and are given in the following table.

  Average Available Staffed Hospital Beds for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Specialties in Scotland

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007


Child Psychiatry
30
23
15
16
11
9
8
8
9


Adolescent Psychiatry
39
40
48
43
38
32
35
35
35



  Source: ISD(S)1.

  Work to reduce inappropriate admissions to adult beds is showing real progress. There were 186 such admissions last year, a significant reduction from the 290 recorded for 2002. This progress reflects our drive to increase the number of dedicated beds for this important care group from 44 beds to 56 by 2010 and our attention on improving provision to support children and young people in the community, to prevent inappropriate admissions and to facilitate earlier and safe discharge from hospital care.

Mental Health

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to end the practice of children and adolescents being admitted to adult psychiatric wards as a result of a lack of suitable in-patient facilities for children and adolescents.

Shona Robison: We continue our work with NHS boards and other partners to deliver the objectives from the Mental Health of Children and Young People’s Framework (Bib. number 38415) and Delivering a Healthy Future (Bib. number 42137) designed to achieve early and sustained change and improvement on all aspects of child and adolescent mental health care.

  We are seeing progress in delivering the key timetabled milestones including attention on training and workforce planning; increasing bed numbers; better early intervention; supported transitions; improved primary care, and improved planning and delivery of specialist care for children and young people with mental health problems.

  Work to reduce inappropriate admissions to adult beds is showing real progress. There were 186 such admissions last year, a significant reduction from the 290 recorded for 2002. This progress reflects our drive to increase the number of dedicated beds for this important care group from 44 beds to 56 by 2010 and our attention on improving provision to support children and young people in the community, to prevent inappropriate admissions and to facilitate earlier and safe discharge from hospital care.

National Health Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the national tariff service agreements between NHS boards will be publicly available.

Nicola Sturgeon: Detailed service agreements between NHS boards are dealt with at a local level by the NHS boards involved. The Scottish Government does not hold details of these agreements.

  A list of the Scottish National Tariff prices for 2006-07 was published on ISD’s data development website in March 2007.

Nutrition

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3424 by Shona Robison on 6 September 2007, whether it will ensure that the provision of fresh drinking water is included in all future nutritional standards and guidance and adopt the policy of considering such provision as part of any future health strategy.

Shona Robison: Provision of fresh drinking water is included in all nutritional standards which have already been published or are currently being drafted and will be included as a matter of course in any future nutritional standards.

Nutrition

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-3424 and S3W-3425 by Shona Robison on 6 September and 27 August 2007 respectively, whether it will make it explicit in the national minimum care standards for care homes that service users must have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day and that it should be offered regularly to them.

Shona Robison: As noted in the answer to question S3W-3425 on 27 August 2007, the National Care Standards for care homes already include the right for residents to have cold drinks whenever they wish. Nonetheless, access to fresh drinking water in care homes will be considered when the National Care Standards are reviewed in due course. Any proposed changes to the Standards resulting from a review will be consulted on publicly before a decision is taken on whether or not to make the revisions.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Ophthalmic Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet the stage 3 payments in full to pay optometrists under the free eye test initiative, as agreed by the previous administration.

Shona Robison: Any increase in NHS eye examination fees for optometrists for 2008-09 will be subject to the outcome of the spending review.

Parenting

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will promote the importance of involving fathers in health, education and social work services.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is actively encouraging all parents, including fathers, to be involved in their children’s lives. Examples of this are the 2006 Parental Involvement Act, which seeks the engagement of parents in their children’s education and the funding of Parenting Across Scotland to provide a voice for those in a parenting role.

Parenting

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to identify and address barriers to fathers’ involvement in children’s lives and accessing family services.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is funding Parenting Across Scotland, a multi-agency partnership project led by Children 1st. Its aim is to research the concerns and issues affecting those in a parenting role and represent the views of parents in policy.

  In addition, the Scottish Government has provided funding to Children in Scotland’s Children, Fathers and Fatherhood project.

Parenting

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is shaping the views, expectations and skills of young and future fathers.

Adam Ingram: Children, Fathers and Fatherhood is a Children in Scotland project directly funded by the Scottish Government. It aims to explore, promote and support the involvement of fathers in the care of their children. In addition, the Government is committed to enhancing the parenting skills of parents at every age, and to this end is engaged in a wide range of cross-cutting work to support parents.

Schools

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding its school building programme and what the proposals are for wave 3 of the programme, particularly the replacement Portobello High School.

Maureen Watt: Following a meeting between officials on 6 September 2007, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and I met with council representatives on 27 September to discuss school building and other issues. The Cabinet Secretary also met the council leader on 4 October.

  Detailed proposals for individual schools are a matter for the council, who have, I understand, subsequently met with delegations representing the "wave 3" schools.

Special Advisers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, what travel, accommodation and subsistence allowances have been claimed by each special adviser since appointment.

John Swinney: The expenditure recorded in table A shows the total expenses incurred by special advisers since their appointment in May. It includes accommodation and meals, travel expenses and personal incidental expenses. The expenditure was either incurred by the adviser and claimed back through the Scottish Government Travel & Subsistence system, booked through the official travel agency or paid directly to suppliers via the travel & subsistence charge card.

  Special Adviser expenses are incurred in the course of carrying out official business on behalf of the Scottish Government.

  Table A

  

 
Accommodation
Air
Rail Travel
Taxi
Incidental


Special Advisers
£471
£2,221
£1,334
£847
£10

Traffic

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations apply to traffic noise emanating from locations in close proximity to residential properties.

Michael Russell: The Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006 are part of the implementation of the EC Environmental Noise Directive. This applies to ambient noise to which humans are exposed from transport and industrial sources. Noise maps have already been produced under the regulations with action plans now being prepared with a view to managing noise in specific areas identified in the noise maps.

  For new or altered roads where noise exceeds a certain trigger level, the Land Compensation (Scotland) Act 1973 provide for insulation work or a grant to be made in respect of that insulation work.

  In addition the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Traffic Act 1988 where the police can take action against a person who has modified their exhaust system illegally or is driving dangerously.

Victim Support

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the victim notification scheme.

Kenny MacAskill: An analysis of the victim notification scheme was published in September of this year. On the basis of that analysis I am minded to extend the terms of the scheme to include more victims. A final decision on the extension of eligibility will depend upon the availability of resources and is therefore subject to the outcome of the Spending Review.

Water Supply

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4525 by Michael Russell on 26 September 2007, whether there are any legal obligations under existing regulations for central or local government to provide a water supply or reinstate one that has run out.

Michael Russell: Responsibility for the provision, adequacy and wholesomeness of a private water supply rests with the owners and users of that supply and not central or local government.

  However, where the insufficiency or unwholesomeness of a supply for domestic purposes poses a danger to life or health, local authorities have powers under the Water (Scotland) Act 1980 to require Scottish Water to provide an emergency supply of water until the owners and users secure an alternative or additional private supply of water. The 1980 act enables local authorities to recover the costs of the emergency provision of water from the owners and users of the failed supply.